Sitamarhi / Patna : The Additional Chief Secretary of Bihar’s Education Department, Dr S Siddharth, issued direct orders to school staff on Monday to visit villages and bring missing pupils to class, after conducting a surprise video call inspection of a government school.
Dr Siddharth contacted the headmaster of Banol Madhya Vidyalaya in Sitamarhi district via video call as part of an ongoing monitoring exercise. Upon being shown the school premises, he observed that only around 10–12 students were present in class.
“Why are there so few children?” he asked, directing the headmaster and other staff to immediately engage with local families and encourage attendance. “Meet the parents. Tell the children they need to come to school.”
Initially, the teacher informed Siddharth that he had not yet reached the classroom, but later estimated there were only 20–25 students. The number, however, was visibly lower when the camera was turned on during the video call. Dr Siddharth asked whether the students had received their uniform money, suggesting a possible reason for low attendance.
On learning that four teachers were present at the school, Siddharth instructed that two should remain to conduct classes, while the other two be dispatched to nearby villages to speak directly with parents and bring children back to school.
